Green Party deputy leader Mothin Ali has accused Labour of trying to outdo Reform UK on immigration, describing a row between ministers as a sign of political failure. Writing for Metro, Ali said the sight of a Labour minister scrapping with Reform over who is more anti-immigration has become familiar.
Row over doctored clip
The row broke out between Reform’s Robert Jenrick and Labour minister Jo White about who was more committed to ‘stopping the boats.’ Jenrick posted a doctored clip in an attempt to smear White and then deleted it after she corrected him, facing calls to apologise. Ali said instead of demanding an apology, people should ask why White is apparently hellbent on stopping migrants.
Ali called Jenrick and Reform despicable for their attempt to smear another MP by doctoring footage, calling it an example of why many have lost faith in politics. He said successive governments have scapegoated migrants, which is impossible to separate from far-right hate and violence.
Personal story
Ali, whose parents came from Bangladesh, said immigration is not a political football but his family’s reality and the story of millions who built modern Britain. He said his parents came with hope and hard work, and he would not be a deputy leader without the opportunities they built. He said he will never apologise for who he is.
The Green Party, he said, is unafraid to say immigration has enriched the country economically, culturally and socially. But Labour ministers still echo Reform’s language in hope of reward, which he said will not work.
Criticism of Labour
Ali said the country faces soaring housing costs, crumbling public services and stagnant wages, none caused by migrants but by years of political choices that failed to invest. The Green Party, he said, has seen membership skyrocket and vote rise in communities Labour abandoned.
He said the Greens stand in solidarity with migrant communities and refugees, defending the principle that every person deserves dignity. Their priority is safe legal routes for refugees, ending the hostile environment, tackling workplace exploitation, and investing in public services and affordable homes.
Ali said the Green Party would never threaten settled people with deportation, as Labour has done under Starmer. He had hoped Prime Minister Andy Burnham would mark a change from anti-immigrant pandering but said he looks like Starmer 2.0.
